How to prepare salad mixes from harvested vegetables: chlorine levels in water for washing produce, preventing bruising and rots, packaging

CA and MA storage

Chilling damage and storage temperature

Harvesting and grading vegetables

Fruit grading systems

Marketing

Managing an Aquaponics Venture -including a PBL

Case study: University of the Virgin Islands system

Case study: North Carolina State University system

Case study: Speraneo system

What is an aquaponic trial?

Running an aquaponic trial

Research methodology

PBL Project: Create and present a plan with specific strategies for improving the crop production of an aquaponics system in terms of amount and quality of produce harvested based on a clear understanding of the system’s requirements and its location (greenhouse or open air; temperate, subtropical, or tropical climate)

Troubleshooting

Water supply problems

pH problems

Algae growth

Dirty, cloudy water

Water imbalances; high levels of ammonia or nitrite

Imbalances in gases

Fish troubleshooting

Controlling salinity and nutrients without damaging fish

Plant troubleshooting

Diseases

Pythium in aquaponics

Pests

Environmental physiological disorders

Nutrition problems in aquaponics

Deficiency symptoms

Correcting nutrient problems in aquaponics

Fruit set management: pollinationfloral initiation, fruit growth

Flower and fruit development problems

Fish eating plant roots

Power losses

Clogging with sediment

Fish to plant imbalances

Pathogenic contamination issues

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

To understand the nature and scope of aquaponics, communicate with aquaponic experts effectively, develop and maintain an aquaponics system, evaluate problems and find sensible options for dealing with problems in an aquaponic system.

Discuss the nature and scope of aquaponic culture.

Compare a range of different aquaponic systems.

Explain scientifically, the factors that contribute toward both the quantity and quality of growth, of both plants and animals, within an aquaponic system.

Explain how to manage the availability of nutritional elements to plants and animals growing in an aquaponic system.

Select animal species that are appropriate to grow in different types of aquaponic systems.

Describe how to manage animals growing in an aquaponic system.

Design an aquaponics system.

Discuss the management of different plant species in an aquaponics system.

Discuss both commercial and amateur applications for aquaponic systems.

Deciding whether to go into Aquaponics

Like everything else, aquaponic production has both advantages and disadvantages.

The scale of operation is not really such a big concern; people practice small scale aquaponics in their home garden, while others operate large scale commercial aquaponic farms.

Before making your decision, consider the advantages and disadvantages below:

Advantages of Aquaponics:

Water conservation – water use is reduced significantly in recirculating aquaponics as it is being continually cycled through the system.

No need for chemical fertilizers – the fish provide fertilizers for the plants to grow, while the plant roots provide additional filtration of the water for the fish to live in.

Fish waste used in cycle – ammonia is removed from the system by filtration

Less land space required – plants and fish are grown in close quarters.

Can grow food all year round – this will vary depending on your local climate and the location of the aquaponics system (inside/outside)

Faster growth of plants – a trial carried out in Canada noted that aquaponic growth rates can exceed hydroponic plant growth by up to four times for particular vegetables and herbs.

Lower susceptibility to disease – as the aquaponics plants are not grown in soil, they are not prone to soil-borne bacterial disease. Fish in aquaponic systems are also less susceptible to pathogens that are common to aquaculture systems.

Reduced ecological footprint for crop production.

Disadvantages of Aquaponics

Cost –per unit area, it is more expensive than other forms of farming (but remember, being more intensive, what is spent on equipment is to a greater or lesser degree, saved on reduced property costs)

Technologically Complex –requires more expertise to run properly than traditional farming. You may need to spend more training staff or on consultants and technical services (eg. water analysis, advice on plant and animal health problems. You are on the one hand taking greater control over the growth of plants and animals, but because you are taking that control away from nature, you are removing buffers that nature may normally have in place for dealing with problems. Potentially an aquaponics system is more productive than a natural system, but it is also susceptible to greater risks.

If operated on a large scale it may lead to depletion of some natural resources that are required to run the system. Feed for fish or crayfish is made from less valuable animal products. Over use of natural resources can be a problem, and may end up leading to an increased cost for those feeds. The world may simply not be geared to rapid expansion of aquaculture. It may become necessary for larger scale aquaculture farmers to grow their own feed for fish or crayfish (eg. vermiculture)

The options for configuring a system are very diverse. As with many new ideas, all sorts of people can be attracted to aquaponics, for all sorts of reasons, and despite their passion, they are not always balanced in their understanding of the industry. Because it is relatively new, sound tried and proven technologies do dot yet exist; and the level of research underpinning the industry is as yet nowhere near as sound as what might be found in other areas of farming.

Aquaponics is really "smart farming".

If you are up for it, you do need to prepare well, and become properly informed before risking a considerable investment in money and time.

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Dr. Lynette Morgan

Broad expertise in horticulture and crop production. She travels widely as a partner in Suntec Horticultural Consultants, and has clients in central America, the USA, Caribbean, South East Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

Parks Manager, Nurseryman, Landscape Designer, Garden Writer and Consultant.
Over 40 years experience; working in Victoria, Queensland and the UK.
He is one of the most widely published garden writers in the world; author of more than 70 books and edito

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